1) I worship the lotus feet of that form of Sri Krsna when, due to being thoroughly immersed in separation from SrimatiRadhika (who is displaying mana, Her mood of jealous anger), His own dark complexion vanishes and He assumes Her bright, golden luster or, I worship the lotus feet of Sri Krsna as He is embraced by SrimatiRadhika (after Her mana has broken).

2) When Sri Krsna (sevya – who always takes service from sevaka*) and SrimatiRadhika (sevaka – who is always doing seva to sevya) meet together and enjoy each other, how can there be any distinction between Them? But in vipralambhaTheir feelings of separateness perpetually intensify. [*Sevya is bhoktaBhagavan – who is always enjoying. Sevaka is bhogya – who is enjoyed. At time of meeting there is no bheda, difference, between Them – They are abheda, non-different whereas in separation Their mood of difference especially increases.]

3) By the influence of acintya-sakti, the Divine Couple, sakti (potency) and saktiman (the possessor of potency) who perform unlimited transcendental pastimes, are forever simultaneously different and non-different. [Para-tattva is never without sakti. When sakti-saktimanare one svarupa, in one body, then gaura-tattva is manifest, and when They are separate in two bodies, Krsna as lila-purusottama enjoys lila with SrimatiRadhika.]

4) Although the Supreme Truth is one, His pastimes appear in two forms: those ofSyamasundaraKrsna and Sri Gaurasundara, both of whom are directly SvayamBhagavan (and whose contradictory qualities are fully harmonized by acintya-sakti). [The usage of the word varna (complexion) in verse 5 and the word guna (quality) in verse 6 establishes sri-gaura-tattva to be as worshipable as sri-krsna-tattva:]

5) Wherever all the colours are combined, a golden hue (gaura-kanti) is manifest for example, although all colours are present in the sun, its hue is golden. On the other hand, in the absence of all colour, black (syama-kanti) is manifest (and according to the opinion of modern scientists, black is actually devoid of colour).

6) There is no difference between the supreme truth manifest as saguna (possessed of transcendental attributes – gaura-kanti) and nirguna (devoid of material attributes – syama-kanti). They are one and the same. Sri Gaurasundara possesses all eternal divine qualities and Sri Krsna is the embodiment of rasa which is completely devoid of mundane qualities.

7) Sri Krsna and Sri Gauranga are both the supreme Brahman. Those who abandon serving Them to worship the formless Brahman never attain factual liberation and are precisely like those who try to extract rice by beating empty husks – all they obtain is their fruitless, hard labor.

8) By the mercy of my GurudevaSrilaSarasvatiPrabhupada, I worship Sri Vinoda-bihari and SrimatiRadhika as They meet and take Their darsana at that time.

9) Whoever daily recites this astakam with great faith will fully comprehend Krsna-tattva and become immersed in meditation upon the lotus feet of Sri Gaurasundara.